Basil Gee

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2008.

Geelong based driver, Basil Gee is one of the 'Old School', starting his 40 years driving career in a Ford F600 tipper carting soil to Portland.  Sidling into an old Thames he created history by being the first to pull a furniture van across the Nullarbor Plain for Downards.

In 1973 Basil bought an Atkinson with a Maxi-Cube refrigeration van.  He carted hanging meat to Perth, and Edgell's produce to Sydney and Brisbane. His favourite truck, 'White Lightning' (a White 9000) was purchased in 1977 and clocked up a staggering 600,000 miles.  Basil and White Lightning had been selected by the Sunday Observer to carry out tests on new components and accessories and also participated in various fundraising trips.  As a working truck, 'White Lightning' and Basil picked up runs to Bowen and Cairns carting produce for Costas.

1981 saw the birth of Basil's passion for the Mack.  The Gold SuperLiner did an amazing 1.5 million kms, doing one a week to Perth.  It was 1985 when Basil decided to give the long journeys away and concentrate on establishing a van and trailer repair business.  That proved to be like putting a dog on a leash and the purchase of Jim Ristovichis' Magnum SuperLiner saw Basil and 'Extravagance' chasing the white lines of Australia's highways once again.  In 1994 Basil parked his beloved Mack for the last time and settled into retirement looking b ack proudly on his career.  However, he often gets an urge to jump back behind the wheel and get on the road.

He can even be found occasionally crossing the Nullarbor in Kevin Sand's refrigerated vans and is very deserving of his place on the Wall of Fame.